Wednesday, December 27, 2006

"Consider these numbers. Global livestock grazing and feed production use '30 percent of the land surface of the planet.' Livestock — which consume more food than they yield — also compete directly with humans for water. And the drive to expand grazing land destroys more biologically sensitive terrain, rain forests especially, than anything else.

"But what is even more striking, and alarming, is that livestock are responsible for about 18 percent of the global warming effect, more than transportation’s contribution. The culprits are methane — the natural result of bovine digestion — and the nitrogen emitted by manure. Deforestation of grazing land adds to the effect."

Ergo, I do not need to feel guilty that Rob and I drive two cars to our martial arts class, just so we can hang a banner between them. And that we took both of those cars to his parents' house last night afterwards.